A poll of Labour Party members conducted for Survation and the grassroots site LabourList found Lucy Powell leading Bridget Phillipson by a substantial margin once undecided respondents were excluded, backing that could complicate leader Keir Starmer’s efforts to consolidate support.
The research showed Powell, the former Commons leader who was sacked in the reshuffle that followed Angela Rayner’s resignation, on 61 percent of members’ support compared with 39 percent for Phillipson, the Education Secretary described by some as Downing Street’s de facto candidate in the deputy leadership contest. The survey reported that 23 percent of members were still undecided and that the contest is not due to conclude until late next month.
The poll also captured wider dissatisfaction among members about the party’s direction: just 25 percent said Labour was heading in the right direction, while 67 percent said it was on the wrong track. Survation summarised that Phillipson performed better among members who believe the party is headed in the right direction, whereas Powell dominated among the larger group who think it is going the wrong way.
Powell’s position as the candidate seen as critical of the leadership was reinforced by endorsements from figures including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband. Miliband, who previously worked with Powell when he was Labour leader, told ITV’s Peston programme that he nominated her because she "speaks truth to power" and could help connect the party in the country with the government.
Phillipson, a serving Cabinet minister, has been cast by some inside and outside the party as the preferred choice of senior figures around the leader. The poll’s results highlight a split in membership sentiment that mirrors tensions within Labour between those who support Starmer’s strategic direction and activists who are more critical.
The deputy leadership contest follows a period of internal upheaval in Labour triggered by the departure of Rayner, and comes amid growing anger in some party quarters over Starmer’s performance. Party officials and campaigners have said the race will be watched closely both inside the United Kingdom and abroad, given the Labour Party’s role in shaping the policies of a prospective government and the United Kingdom’s relationships with partners including the United States.
The Survation/LabourList survey does not determine the final result; the membership ballot remains open through the formal nomination and voting timetable set by the party. With nearly a quarter of respondents still undecided according to the poll, campaign activity and endorsements in the coming weeks could affect the final outcome.
Campaign messaging from both camps has focused on different priorities: Powell has positioned herself as a critic willing to press the leadership from the deputy role, while Phillipson has emphasised continuity and close working with the government. How members weigh those arguments will determine whether the deputy post becomes a check on Starmer’s leadership or a reinforcing partner within his administration.
The Labour contest will proceed alongside wider political debates over policy direction, electoral strategy and party organisation, issues that Labour members identified as central to their assessment of whether the party is on the right track. The result of the deputy leadership vote will be one indicator of intra‑party sentiment as Labour prepares for future electoral contests.